GOVT1641 Lecture 2: Liberalism
6 May 2020
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Value of individual freedom over other values, such as equality and justice. Has no key text to go back to. Example of doctrinally based ideologies: christianity in europe. Liberalism is a plural ideology with different tendencies. Liberalism flexible, adaptive set of ideas. Liberty of people doing what they want. State should only intervene if there is a real and immediate risk of people doing harm to others. Drugs: it does not harm others directly but harms yourself and thus state should not intervene. Democracy is a means to an end, not an end in itself. In democracy, people might vote to have taxes. Will deny people of their hard earned income. Liberals have an ambivalent relationship with democracy. Liberal democracy: to prevent us from being mis-governing ourselves: deontological liberalism. People should be protected from encroachment by others and the state. Task of state protect our rights.
